As the time winded down Monday night, MLB’s self-imposed deadline for a deal to get done without having to cancel regular-season games, there was still not an agreement in place. However, as the two sides continued to stay deep into the night, optimism has grown that a deal could be on the horizon.
The most notable development is that both sides finally seem prepared to make concessions. For instance, agreements were made on a 12-team playoff, MLB dropped its request for additional penalties related to the collective bargaining tax, and players dropped their insistence on an increase to the “Super Two” status.
As the clock approached one in the morning, Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported that the two sides seemed prepared to stick it through to the end. As he said in a tweet, “Determination to finish this exists.”
While a deal was not ultimately reached Monday, optimism still remains high. The two sides met a total of 13 times, and they have agreed to extend the deadline to 5:00 p.m. Tuesday night.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, “large gaps remain, but the two sides have made definite progress.” On Tuesday, the hope is enough progress can be made for the three words that everyone has been waiting for will be iterated…baseball is back.
When Deal Is Done, Buckle Up
Lost in all of the frenzy of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations is the fact that there are a plethora of unsigned free agents still available that will need to be signed prior to the season starting.
Players like Carlos Correa, Freddie Freeman, Kris Bryant, Trevor Story, Nick Castellanos, Kyle Schwarber, Carlos Rodon, Seiya Suzuki, Anthony Rizzo, Jorge Soler, and several others all remain without a team.
Additionally, there are still arbitration hearings, contract renewals, and a litany of other items that need to be taken care of prior to Opening Day.
While pure chaos is likely to ensue, this could set up to be some of the most exciting weeks of MLB hot stove that the league has ever seen.
Jeter Leaves Marlins
While the focus on Monday was on the collective bargaining negotiations, another major story broke as Hall-of-Famer Derek Jeter announced that he was leaving the Miami Marlins.
Having joined the club five years ago in an effort to help turn the organization around, Jeter spoke proudly of the work that had been accomplished. However, he also said that the “…vision for the future of the franchise is different than the one I signed up to lead.”
While The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported that Jeter’s contract was going to expire by the end of 2022, it seems based on Jeter’s comments that the vision that he and principal owner Bruce Sherman once shared is no more.
While the Marlins’ payroll is hardly what Jeter experienced with the Yankees, the work that Jeter and company have done over the last five years is still noteworthy. The Marlins have one of the best young pitching staff in the league and seem to be trending upwards.
Despite the improvements, the Marlins are still just +6000 to win the World Series this year, ranking 18th in the majors.
Rangers or Retire?
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, this is what may be in store for Clayton Kershaw. In talking with former teammates, Nightengale reports that it would not be surprising if Kershaw was choosing to sign with either his hometown Rangers or decide to hang up the cleats.
Kershaw will turn 34 later this month, but injuries have started to affect his availability. Still, in 2021 with the Dodgers, Kershaw pitched in 22 games, going 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, and struck out 144 in 121.2 innings.
Since breaking into the majors in 2008, Kershaw has only pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers. In that time, he has amassed a 185-84 record with a 2.49 ERA. Still, the allure of his hometown seems like it could be enough to draw him away.
The Rangers have already had a strong offseason, so signing Kershaw could be the icing on the cake. Prior to the lockout, they had agreed to deals with Corey Seager, Jon Gray, Marcus Semien, and Kole Calhoun.
Despite the improvements of the club, the Rangers still have the worst odds of winning the AL West at +3000.
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